BREAKING NEWSBritish man, 70, is airlifted to hospital on Spanish holiday island in critical condition after being pulled from the sea by lifeguards performing CPR

A British man has been airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after getting into difficulties in the sea off the paradise Spanish island of Formentera.

The 70-year-old was pulled out of the water at picture-postcard Ses Illetes beach by lifeguards who performed life-saving CPR on him.

Emergency responders stabilised him on the sand before an ambulance took him initially to the island hospital.

Doctors then decided he should be flown by helicopter to Can Misses Hospital in Ibiza given the seriousness of his condition.

The drama occurred just after 3.30pm this afternoon. The Brit, who has not been named, was said to be in intensive care last night as he fought for his life.

The 70-year-old was pulled out of the water at picture-postcard Ses Illetes beach (pictured) by lifeguards who performed life-saving CPR on him

It was not immediately clear if he was alone at the time of the near-drowning or with family or friends.

See Illetes, which has in the past been declared as the one of the worlds most beautiful beaches, is regarded as the most representative feature of Formenteras spectacular coastline.

It is located within Ses Salines de Eivissa and Formentera Natural Park, occupying a large area of the Es Trucadors peninsula, the extreme north of the island of Formentera, and facing west.

There are more than 450 metres of beach divided into two parts by a small rocky area in the middle.

Last week two British holidaymakers lost their lives after being swept away by a torrent of water in a flooded Majorca canyon.

The pair were named as Alexander Johnson, 32, and his girlfriend Sarah Jane Thompson, 26. They had been hiking through the canyon, called the Torrent de Pareis, when the tragedy occurred during a surprise storm.